Biggest week in online holiday shopping history pushes holiday spending over $32 billion

[Corey]

The week ended December 18th was the heaviest week for online holiday shopping ever, with shoppers spending more than $6.3 billion, up 15% from the same period last year. Consumers have already spent about $31.9 billion this holiday season according to comScore, which published new figures on Tuesday. “With only a few more days until Christmas, the preponderance of Americans’ late season holiday shopping will shift to brick-and-mortar retail, although the procrastinators among us will still be able to take advantage of expedited shipping and buy online up to and including the day before Christmas Eve with the guarantee of having their gifts delivered in time for the holiday,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni, noting that there were four days last week during which consumers spent more than $1 billion. “In total, we will see another $5 or $6 billion in e-commerce spending over the remainder of December to finish off what has clearly been an outstanding season for online retailers.” November 28th, Cyber Monday, will go down as the heaviest online spending day this holiday season, and in history, with more than $1.251 billion spent. ComScore’s full press release follows after the break.

Heaviest Week in U.S. Online Holiday Shopping History Pushes Season-to-Date Total to $32 Billion, Up 15 Percent vs. Year Ago

Spending Approaches 2010 Holiday Season Total of $32.6 Billion with Nearly Two Weeks Remaining in 2011 Season

RESTON, VA, December 20, 2011 

– comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 48 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, nearly $32 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 18), led by four individual days surpassing $1 billion in sales, reached an all-time record of $6.3 billion in online retail spending, up 14 percent from the corresponding week last year. The final shopping weekend before Christmas reached $1.04 billion to rank as the second heaviest weekend of online spending on record.

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 18	$27,814	$31,973	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Green Monday (Dec. 12)	$954	$1,133	19%
Free Shipping Day (Dec. 16)	$942	$1,072	14%
Week Ending Dec. 18	$5,499	$6,286	14%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 19, 2010)

“The final big week of online holiday shopping remained strong throughout, with four days surpassing $1 billion in sales and the second heaviest online shopping weekend on record,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “With only a few more days until Christmas, the preponderance of Americans’ late season holiday shopping will shift to brick-and-mortar retail, although the procrastinators among us will still be able to take advantage of expedited shipping and buy online up to and including the day before Christmas Eve with the guarantee of having their gifts delivered in time for the holiday. In total, we will see another $5 or $6 billion in e-commerce spending over the remainder of December to finish off what has clearly been an outstanding season for online retailers.”

Ten Online Spending Days Top $1 Billion this Holiday Season

For the 2011 holiday season-to-date, ten individual days have surpassed $1 billion in online retail sales. Cyber Monday (Nov. 28) currently ranks as the heaviest online spending day of the season – and in history – at $1.251 billion. Monday, December 5 ranks second at $1.178 billion, followed by Green Monday (Dec. 12) in third with $1.133 billion. Free Shipping Day (Friday, Dec. 16) ranks sixth at $1.072 billion.

Billion Dollar Spending Days for 2011 Holiday Season Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Rank	Date	Spending in Millions ($)
1	Monday, Nov. 28 (Cyber Monday)	$1,251
2	Monday, Dec. 5	$1,178
3	Monday, Dec. 12 (Green Monday)	$1,133
4	Tuesday, Nov. 29	$1,116
5	Tuesday, Dec. 6	$1,107
6	Friday, Dec. 16 (Free Shipping Day)	$1,072
7	Tuesday, Dec. 13	$1,064
8	Wednesday, Nov. 30	$1,025
9	Thursday, Dec. 8	$1,024
10	Thursday, Dec. 15	$1,018

 

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